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civilized

adjective

Definition of civilized

:characteristic of a state of civilization
  • civilized society
; especially :characterized by taste, refinement, or restraint

See civilized defined for English-language learners

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Examples of civilized in a Sentence

  1. A civilized society must respond to crime with fairness and justice.

  2. Stop yelling. We have to be more civilized about this.

  3. Try to act like a civilized human being!

  4. a civilized way to spend the evening

Recent Examples of civilized from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'civilized.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of civilized

1611

civilized Synonyms

Synonyms
accomplished, cultivated, couth, cultured, genteel, polished, refined
Antonyms
barbaric, barbarous, philistine, uncivilized, uncultured, ungenteel, unpolished, unrefined
Related Words
cerebral, highbrow, highbrowed, high-toned, intellectual, intellectualist, intellectualistic; bourgeois, middlebrow; educated, erudite, knowledgeable, learned, literate, scholarly, well-read; civil, courteous, mannerly, polite, well-bred; cosmopolitan, sophisticated, urbane; hypercivilized, overcivilized, oversophisticated
Near Antonyms
ignorant, illiterate, uneducated, unlettered; lowbrow, unintelligent; coarse, ill-bred, ill-mannered; backwoods, provincial, rustic (also rustical); inelegant, polyester, unsophisticated; boorish, churlish, cloddish, clownish, crude, uncouth, vulgar

Phrases Related to CIVILIZED

Related Phrases

CIVILIZED Defined for English Language Learners

civilized

adjective

Definition of civilized for English Language Learners

  • : marked by well-organized laws and rules about how people behave with each other

  • : polite, reasonable, and respectful

  • : pleasant and comfortable

Learn More about civilized

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for civilized Nglish: Translation of civilized for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of civilized for Arabic speakers

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Examples: civilized in a Sentence